Dunelm Group reveals seven per cent uptick in revenue as it hikes dividend by 17 per cent September 14, 2016 Furniture retailer Dunelm Group has hiked its dividend after reporting increased revenues and profits for the 52 weeks to 2 July. The figures Total revenues grew 7.1 per cent to £880.9m from £835.8m the year before. Operating profit was up to £129.3m from £122.5m, a 6.6 per cent year-on-year change, while pre-tax profit was up 6.2 [...]
China expected to be the golden ticket for Accesso as revenue leaps September 14, 2016 International growth in resorts and attractions is set to work well for ticketing technology company Accesso in coming years. China's booming middle class could propel the country to the fore of global theme park, resort, and attraction ticket sales and Accesso is expecting to be able to take a slice of the action. Bottom line growth in recent months means the Berkshire-based company is now eyeing up expansion [...]
The Mayor of London has opted to protect privilege not competition September 14, 2016 Sadiq Khan’s crackdown on London’s private hire industry is a sop to a privileged monopoly that distorts competitive markets and fails to defend consumer interests. As private hire services make inroads into London’s black cab monopoly, the case to protect them from decline and enforce consumer safety may sound reasonable. But Khan’s reforms go beyond safety and are [...]
Picks of the day: The three stories to read today September 14, 2016 We’re officially halfway through the working week – to celebrate, we’ve put together the top three stories of the day in bite-sized form, just to make your life that bit easier. Time for a coffee break? Check out our three at three. Uber has finally gone driverless In case you’re totally over the fact that [...]
UK could tie global Bank for International Settlements currency trading code into new senior managers rules September 14, 2016 The UK could be set to add another layer of scrutiny to its senior managers regime, by adding a requirement that bankers stick to the Bank for International Settlements' (BIS) new global code of conduct for the FX market. The first full draft of the code is expected by the market in October, with the final [...]
Sharing economy stalwart Zipcar zooms into Belgium with its first free-floating car share service September 14, 2016 US car-sharing network Zipcar zoomed into its seventh European market today and launched its first free-floating service. The free-floating system allows Zipcar members to pick up and drop off one of the company's hired vehicles at any location within a set geographical area, rather than in a specified spot. Its new service is being launched in [...]
Stranger Things have happened: TV company Liberty Global in new Netflix tie-up September 14, 2016 Cable TV company Liberty Global has announced a new tie-up with online movie giant Netflix. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix programmes such as Stranger Things, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black will be available to Liberty customers across more than 30 countries. Read more: Liberty Global remains committed to Virgin broadband investment [...]
Amazon’s virtual home assistant Echo comes to the UK September 14, 2016 Amazon has launched its virtual home assistant Echo in the UK and Germany, its first markets for the device outside the US, which lets users control their home and do tasks online via simple voice commands. The device, priced at £149.99 or £99.99 for Prime members, is powered by Amazon's Alexa, an artificial intelligence voice assistant similar to [...]
George Osborne vows to safeguard his flagship Northern Powerhouse policy, after City A.M. reveals think tank plan September 14, 2016 George Osborne has vowed to protect his flagship Northern Powerhouse policy, just a day after City A.M. revealed he would launch a think tank dedicated to the project City A.M. reported the former chancellor's plans on Tuesday, just hours after David Cameron announced plans to leave parliament all together. And speaking to The Sun, Osborne [...]